1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for brake assembly and manufacturing, specifically to a method for brake rotor assembly and manufacturing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Brake rotors are a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel. A brake rotor is usually made of cast iron or ceramic composites including carbon, kevlar and silica. The brake rotor is connected to the wheel and/or the axle of a vehicle. To stop the wheel, friction material in the form of brake pads, mounted on a device called a brake caliper, is forced mechanically, hydraulically, pneumatically, or electromagnetically against both sides of the rotor. Friction causes the rotor and attached wheel to slow or stop.
Most stainless steel and other material in rotors are made of sheet stock or they are casted. Sheet rotors have a low-to-near-zero porosity as well as linear grain. The grain makes the material stronger. However, as the rotor temperature reaches the thermal transition temperature of the material, the rotor will expand and contract unevenly across the grain causing distortion or warp age. Casted rotors expand and contract evenly because they have no grain. However, casted rotors have a large number of pores that reduce the friction coefficient and reduce braking efficiency and performance. The casted rotors can become brittle if not processed properly and can literally break. Some improvements have been made in the field. Examples of references related to the present invention are described below, and the supported teachings of each reference are incorporated by reference herein:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,957,726, issued to Gehrs discloses a floating brake rotor assembly with non-load bearing pins includes a brake rotor and hub that are coplanar and are interconnected by pin and spring assemblies such that the pins do not bear rotational torque being transferred between the brake rotor and hub. The rotor has tooth-like protruding members along its inner edge that mate with recesses along the outer edge of the hub. When aligned, each protruding member and corresponding recess forms an aperture through which a pin is positioned, and allows for transfer of rotational torque without applying load force to the pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,587, issued to Maldonado discloses a motorcycle disk brake rotor in the shape of an annular ring is mounted to the motorcycles rear wheel at the outside of its annulus and swept by the yoke of a disk brake caliper that is mounted to the inside of the annulus. A belt pulley affixes at its exterior circumferential region—either rigidly or “floating”—the exterior annular region of the disk brake rotor which is in the shape of the annular ring. A motorcycle disk brake caliper assembly is anchored at one mounting point to the motorcycle's rear axle shaft, and at a second mounting point to the motorcycle's suspension swing arm, engages the disk brake rotor from the inside of its annulus. The combined disk brake and belt pulley assembly is compact and visually regularly appearing. It may suitably be stylized with the same pattern as are the wheels of the motorcycle. While providing both braking and motive drive functions, it is entirely located upon but one side of the motorcycle's rear wheel, making that the view of the other side of the wheel is unobstructed and aesthetically improved. It is suitably retrofitted to existing belt-drive motorcycles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,997,292, issued to Burgoon et al. discloses a brake assembly for use on vehicles includes a rotor and a wheel mount, formed as a hat portion, fastened to the rotor with a bobbin assembly. The rotor has a flange formed as a series of spaced tabs, and the bobbin assembly is bolted to the hat portion with the rotor flange clamped there between. A spring clip can be used with the bobbin to accommodate thermal expansion of the rotor and eliminate rotor rattling. The bobbin has a binocular shape that receives a pair of bolts. A crush zone between the rotor and the bobbin yields to accommodate machining tolerances of the rotor and promote uniform torque transfer distribution to the hub. Torque is transferred from the brake rotor to the hat portion in a common plane to prevent twisting in the fastener connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,777, issued to Lin discloses a central mounting portion for mounting the brake rotor on a hub, a first annular braking surface and a second annular braking surface, where each braking surface includes an inner diameter and an outer diameter, a bridge provided between the central mounting portion and the inner diameter of at least one of the first and the annular braking surfaces and a plurality of ribs positioned proximate to the bridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,598, issued to Williams discloses a mounting system for disc brake rotors. Drive pins are mounted to a wheel hub. Alignment bushings having outer flanges defining a channel are slideably held in slots in a disc brake rotor, with the rotor engaging the bushing channel. The alignment bushings are each mounted on a drive pin inserted through a hole in the alignment bushing. Drag rings prevent unwanted movement between the alignment bushings and the drive pins. The drag rings can be mounted in grooves in the alignment bushings or, alternatively, in grooves on the drive pins. Retaining rings on the drive pins prevent the bushings from coming off of the drive pins.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,589, issued to Brinker et al. discloses a method for forming a brake assembly for a motor vehicle includes a wheel hub, a knuckle, and a brake rotor. The wheel hub includes a neck portion and a flange portion having a flange face. The flange face has a plurality of bolt receiving holes formed therein. The wheel hub is placed in rotational communication with the knuckle. The flange face of the wheel hub has a brake rotor secured thereto. The brake rotor has an inner surface, which is subjected to final finishing in order to reduce lateral run-out of the brake rotor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,508, issued to Ballinger et al. discloses a disc brake including a pair of friction plates arranged coaxially in a parallel, spaced-apart relationship and a plurality of vanes extending between the pair of friction plates, each of said vanes having a proximal end, a distal end and a mid-portion extending between the proximal end and the distal end, the proximal ends of a plurality of the vanes having a first width, the mid-portion having a second width, the first width being substantially greater than the second width. The vanes can include a T-shaped portion adjacent the proximal end.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,716, issued to Daudi et al. discloses a brake rotor having improved damping characteristics and a method for producing the same. A surface of the brake rotor is EDG machined, also known as EDM machined, for improving the damping characteristics of the rotor. The decay rate of the brake rotor is increased and the Q factor of the brake rotor is reduced. The portion of the brake rotor which is EDG machined is formed of an electrically conductive material, preferably a ferrous material, more preferably a cast iron material, a gray iron material or a damped iron material. The brake rotor may include a solid friction section or a ventilated friction section. The brake rotor is preferably cast from a single material, although alternatively, it may be a composite rotor formed of more than one material.
The inventions heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages which include being expensive, uneven expansion, flaws and/or variations in characteristics and properties across the rotor, poor heat transfer, being flimsy, being non-durable, being limited in application, being limited in versatility, being limited in adaptability, and being unreliable.
What is needed is a method of brake rotor assembly and manufacture that solves one or more of the problems described herein and/or one or more problems that may come to the attention of one skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with this specification.